Support NeoGAF

[Theonik]

It all depends on evilores intent. If he's being passive aggressive at Nintendo for not conforming to his idea of "equality" then I certainly disagree. If he's poking fun at everybody in a satirical fashion then I have little to no issue.

Also any chance to post female link is a good thing in my book.

 

[DrNeroCF]

Female Link, or playable Zelda?

I'd much rather see playable Zelda, honestly.

 

[buffelo]

Anyone else would get banned for this making this vapid thread.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Zelda was created at time when male devs generally crafted stories based on their own male-centric view of the world. Now that times have evolved, Nintendo could very well make a game in the world of Hyrule with a female protagonist or a user selectable one with no damage to that franchise.

Nintendo is a strange target for this kind of topic though...they make games that everyone enjoys regardless of who is the avatar (Metroid, Zelda, Mario), and they feature playable female and male avatars. Peach had her own game, Samus has her own series, there's characters like Daisy and Rosalina (which both myself and my son enjoy playing as), Birdo....I'm honestly a little confused as to why we're talking about girl Link--are we advocating changing every male character into girls now just because....?

Daisy, Rosalina, and Peach are generally only playable in spinoffs. It was a big deal when Peach was playable in 3DW in the first place because she was kept out of the NSMB games for no reason at all for a long time. Samus is legit, but that's just one, and not one of Nintendo's bigger series at that. Obviously having characters playable in spinoffs isn't the same thing, and Nintendo's refusing to even do that with the Zelda series (Triforce Heroes).

I think the reason Link is singled out so often is because Link is really the best major Nintendo character to do this kind of thing with. Every Link is a different person with a different age, backstory, and familial situation anyway, so why not have one of them be a girl? This is different than say making Mario a woman, because every Mario is the same Mario. Every Link ain't the same Link. Plus, Link isn't a gendered name, but rather just a reference to how Link is supposed to represent the player, 50% of which are women.

Female Link, or playable Zelda?

I'd much rather see playable Zelda, honestly.

Why not both?

 

[Dice//]

Or make new adventure game with a female lead.

I'm all for it, but companies aren't as willing to risk it with a new IP.

I think that's exactly what he's saying, for sure. I think the Zelda series could probably use a male character for once however, I'm getting sick of Link.

x)

Daisy, Rosalina, and Peach are generally only playable in spinoffs. It was a big deal when Peach was playable in 3DW in the first place because she was kept out of the NSMB games for no reason at all for a long time. Samus is legit, but that's just one, and not one of Nintendo's bigger series at that. Obviously having characters playable in spinoffs isn't the same thing, and Nintendo's refusing to even do that with the Zelda series (Triforce Heroes).

I think the reason Link is singled out so often is because Link is really the best major Nintendo character to do this kind of thing with. Every Link is a different person with a different age, backstory, and familial situation anyway, so why not have one of them be a girl? This is different than say making Mario a woman, because every Mario is the same Mario. Every Link ain't the same Link. Plus, Link isn't a gendered name, but rather just a reference to how Link is supposed to represent the player, 50% of which are women.



Why not both?

Bravo.

In general with "player avatars" (ie not a character-characters) I do like having a male/female option... and many games do this anyways. But I don't really understand the series' unflinching attitude to change much of anything about itself, be it the playable fem-Link or playable Zelda. It's aggravating, and like you said, seems to almost rigidly extend even to spin-offs. Then coupled with that BS PR from IGN posted earlier and it's just downright annoying.

 

[balgajo]

I'm all for it, but companies aren't as willing to risk it with a new IP.



x)



Bravo.

In general with "player avatars" (ie not a character-characters) I do like having a male/female option... and many games do this anyways. But I don't really understand the series' unflinching attitude to change much of anything about itself, be it the playable fem-Link or playable Zelda. It's aggravating, and like you said, seems to almost rigidly extend even to spin-offs.

Spin off because as Aonuma said that The Legend of Zelda series are Link's games. That's why he said if they choose Zelda, for example, as the protagonist, the name might be changed.

I don't know if we could consider triforce heroes as a spin off already. The PRs were a bit contradictory about this.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Spin off because as Aonuma said that The Legend of Zelda series are Link's games. That's why he said if they choose Zelda, for example, as the protagonist, the name might be changed.

But the new game features three playable characters, they ain't all Link.

Also lol what would they change the name to? The Real Legend of Zelda?

 

[Dice//]

Spin off because as Aonuma said that The Legend of Zelda series are Link's games. That's why he said if they choose Zelda, for example, as the protagonist, the name might be changed.

Oh ok, that makes sense..........

 

[NHarmonic.]

So why hasn't nintendo do this? Or the hero of legend can only be male?
Seiously, they can do crazy shit with this lore but they play it safe with the triad of characters, no idea why.

 

[Zero²]

Kinda reminds me of casca from berserk.

Oh indeed it does, interesting.

 

[balgajo]

But the new game features three playable characters, they ain't all Link.

Also lol what would they change the name to? The Real Legend of Zelda?

I get it, I also agree with this...

Maybe in the end we will discover all of them were Link anyway. But it was a lost opportunity to put customizable characters in hyrule.

 

[akidnamededdy]

I get it, I also agree with this...

Maybe in the end we will discover all of them were Link anyway. But it was a lost opportunity to put customizable characters in hyrule.

Not everything needs customizable characters.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Not everything needs customizable characters.

But these characters are customizable! You just can't pick gender because we can't have that.

I'm surprised people still bought Pikmin 3 when they kicked out Olimar and replaced him with three new characters and made one of them a girl.

 

[balgajo]

So why hasn't nintendo do this? Or the hero of legend can only be male?
Seiously, they can do crazy shit with this lore but they play it safe with the triad of characters, no idea why.

The hero of the legend is the same spirit. The same way we have the princess of destiny, implying that those entities are defined with a gender. Even the gods have gender in Zelda games. Not that I care about the lore, I advocate in favor of male Link because I see him as a singular iconic character, but it's something easy to justify lore wise.

 

[Beelzebufo]

The hero of the legend is the same spirit. The same way we have the princess of destiny, implying that those entities are defined with a gender. Even the gods have gender in Zelda games. Not that I care about the lore, I advocate in favor of male Link because I see him as a singular iconic character, but it's something easy to justify lore wise.

But this new game has three Links, even though the legendary hero's spirit can only be incarnated once at a time! I hope somebody gets fired for that blunder.

Also, the legendary hero can be born with different body structure, hair color, voice, everything, but not gender. That makes sense.

 

[balgajo]

Not everything needs customizable characters.

I don't want customizable characters in main Zelda games. But in this game it would be a good opportunity because of the multiplayer. In sp you play as Link. But I agree with you, customizable character were the reason that I gave up on XBX and sold my Wii U.

EDIT: Let me explain better. I wanted a new gpu and the only games that was really interested were Zelda and XBX. I lost moat of my interest in XBX because of the customizable character then Zelda was delayed. After e3 I'm almost sure about Zelda Wii u nx port, so I sold it.

 

[Link Man]

:|

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

:|

you need a new username it seems

 

[Beelzebufo]

you need a new username it seems

The "man" is to differentiate from the normal female Link.

 

[bobawesome]

Anyone else would get banned for this making this vapid thread.

How dare you speak against the great and mighty Evilore?

 

[themagicalkitsune]

Metroid is a dude right?

 

[Cymbal Head]

Metroid is a dude right?

Yes, but he can't crawl.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Metroid is a dude right?

Metroid is actually four men in Halo suits.

 

[qko]

Wind Waker did kinda break the "save the Princess" trope, although you still are saving your younger sister. A missed opportunity to choose your gender there since a story like Hunger Games showed that big sisters can also do whatever it takes to save a younger sibling. And even though Tetra sort of plays the role of the Zelda in that part of the timeline, I don't feel there is really any substantial romantic relationship between Tetra and Link if Nintendo wanted to "play it safe" with a heteronormative narrative.

 

[correojon]

Always relevant

OMG this is great

 

[Beelzebufo]

Wind Waker did kinda break the "save the Princess" trope, although you still are saving your younger sister. A missed opportunity to choose your gender there since a story like Hunger Games showed that big sisters can also do whatever it takes to save a younger sibling. And even though Tetra sort of plays the role of the Zelda in that part of the timeline, I don't feel there is really any substantial romantic relationship between Tetra and Link if Nintendo wanted to "play it safe" with a heteronormative narrative.

But you save your sister halfway through the game, at which point the goal becomes to save the princess that just appeared out of nowhere.

 

[weevles]

Daisy, Rosalina, and Peach are generally only playable in spinoffs. It was a big deal when Peach was playable in 3DW in the first place because she was kept out of the NSMB games for no reason at all for a long time. Samus is legit, but that's just one, and not one of Nintendo's bigger series at that. Obviously having characters playable in spinoffs isn't the same thing, and Nintendo's refusing to even do that with the Zelda series (Triforce Heroes).

I think the reason Link is singled out so often is because Link is really the best major Nintendo character to do this kind of thing with. Every Link is a different person with a different age, backstory, and familial situation anyway, so why not have one of them be a girl? This is different than say making Mario a woman, because every Mario is the same Mario. Every Link ain't the same Link. Plus, Link isn't a gendered name, but rather just a reference to how Link is supposed to represent the player, 50% of which are women.



Why not both?

Well, the reason is because Link is a male hero specific to the canon of the Zelda stories. Just like Geralt is a male hero specific to the Witcher stories etc etc etc. As I mentioned, there's nothing stopping Nintendo from making a female protagonist in a completely new story set in Hyrule--why does Nintendo have to change Link specifically? Link can stay a boy and Nintendo can make new Zelda-like stories but with a female lead. Or make Zelda the hero and let the player control her. I don't get why people are trying to goad Nintendo into changing Link into something he wasn't intended to be.

Edit: And are you saying Metroid isn't a bigger series?? Samus has a ton of games to her name.

 

[Peltz]

OMG this is great

If by "great" you mean incredibly offensive.... then yea.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

I don't want to be all "the next Link should be a girl," but I will say that I was way more excited for Zelda Wii U when the rumors of female Link were floating around.

To be honest, I think this has as much to do with changing the formula as it does with gender politics. Do I want girl Link because I want more playable female protagonists in games? Sure, but the immediate result would be so much more than that. It would be a real sign that Nintendo is approaching things differently this time around, and that's immediately enticing.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Well, the reason is because Link is a male hero specific to the canon of the Zelda stories. Just like Geralt is a male hero specific to the Witcher stories etc etc etc. As I mentioned, there's nothing stopping Nintendo from making a female protagonist in a completely new story set in Hyrule--why does Nintendo have to change Link specifically? Link can stay a boy and Nintendo can make new Zelda-like stories but with a female lead. Or make Zelda the hero and let the player control her. I don't get why people are trying to goad Nintendo into changing Link into something he wasn't intended to be.

Edit: And are you saying Metroid isn't a bigger series?? Samus has a ton of games to her name.

But why is Link a male hero in the canon of the Zelda series? You're missing the key point- Geralt is the same person in all of the Witcher games. Link in Ocarina of Time is a completely different person and character than Link in the Wind Waker. It's fine if Link's body shape, hair color, voice, age, or backstory changes... but not gender? Why? This is why Link is the best candidate to be a female. A girl wearing a green tunic would still be Link.

And no, Metroid isn't a series on the same level as Mario or Zelda.

 

[Netherscourge]

But what if Zelda was a girl too? That would be cool

 

[KiefbladeMaster]

Okay? ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[mStudios]

But why is Link a male hero in the canon of the Zelda series? You're missing the key point- Geralt is the same person in all of the Witcher games. Link in Ocarina of Time is a completely different person and character than Link in the Wind Waker. It's fine if Link's body shape, hair color, voice, age, or backstory changes... but not gender? Why? This is why Link is the best candidate to be a female. A girl wearing a green tunic would still be Link.

And no, Metroid isn't a series on the same level as Mario or Zelda.

Not in sales, but in quality its pretty much on top.

 

[Beelzebufo]

Not in sales, but in quality its pretty much on top.

I mean, sure haha. That doesn't matter though. I'd disagree solely on the merits of Other M, but if you're counting Other M I guess you could also count Wand of Gamelon and Hotel Mario.

 

[mStudios]

I mean, sure haha. That doesn't matter though. I'd disagree solely on the merits of Other M, but if you're counting Other M I guess you could also count Wand of Gamelon and Hotel Mario.

I mean, you still got Zelda 2.

 

[Beelzebufo]

I mean, you still got Zelda 2.

Zelda 2 is better than Other M!

 

[mStudios]

Zelda 2 is better than Other M!

I disagree, but hey! Different games, different tastes

 

[Robotguy]

Metroid is a dude right?

Metroid is a robot.

 

[Sciz]

Edit: And are you saying Metroid isn't a bigger series?? Samus has a ton of games to her name.

Metroid doesn't sell all that well relative to Nintendo's A-listers.

 

[Zubz]

I'm open to this. Although I'd rather they'd just give Zelda her own game. I'm not counting the CD-i games, but I wouldn't be adverse to King Harkinian being in a new Zelda-centric Zelda.

 

[balgajo]

But why is Link a male hero in the canon of the Zelda series? You're missing the key point- Geralt is the same person in all of the Witcher games. Link in Ocarina of Time is a completely different person and character than Link in the Wind Waker. It's fine if Link's body shape, hair color, voice, age, or backstory changes... but not gender? Why? This is why Link is the best candidate to be a female. A girl wearing a green tunic would still be Link.

And no, Metroid isn't a series on the same level as Mario or Zelda.

Man have you played Breath of Fire? Link and Zelda work the same way as Ryu and Nina, though Capcom never bothered at trying to connect the points and Nintendo thought that it'd be fun if the did this. But in the end the iconic characters are much more important than the lore of each iteration.

 

[Yoshi]

It's fine if Link's body shape, hair color, voice, age, or backstory changes... but not gender?

His body shape has not really changed much, he has always been slim & slightly athletic. His hair colour also hasn't changed since ALttP, which was the first Zelda that really had the proper gameplay. Yeah, his age changes, but that's rather natural to happen over time. Also, Link only has two rough time frames that are usually covered, being a 10-13 year old boy and being a 16-20 year old young adult (the ranges are there because I don't know the exact age). His voice has been consistent from the moment he got a voice, having one kid's voice and one adult's voice. Also, this is rather natural for male persons, to change voice during puberty.

 

[Nia]

 

[Bravocado]

As one of the last high profile silent protagonists, I see no reason why Link can't be who we want him/her to be.

Link is brave, helpful and resourceful, as well as a peerless warrior. His/her gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation probably doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Plus he/she is technically multiple different people.

 

[JDSN]

Anyone else would get banned for this making this vapid thread.

I agree, people already know Link is a girl.

 

[Se7enSword]

As one of the last high profile silent protagonists

Last high profile? Time for Adol to take that mantle.

Adol>>>>>>>Link

 

[Ploid 3.0]

If I don't agree what will happen to my account?

Link is neither, link is a type of robot AI guardian made of magic not metal.

 

[SenorArdilla]

I agree, people already know Link is a girl.

I know right. Wish Nintendo would make a game starring Zelda's girlfriend.

 

[Dargor]

Last high profile? Time for Adol to take that mantle.



Adol>>>>>>>Link

Have to agree. Adol has way more things to say.

 

[-Horizon-]

If I don't agree what will happen to my account?

Link is neither, link is a type of robot AI guardian made of magic not metal.

You'll be downgraded to 2.0 :T